


The Dollhouse Car

by aba_daba_do



Category: Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24296593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aba_daba_do/pseuds/aba_daba_do
Summary: Written for the "What a Cartoon: Cartoon Network Zine" 2020Tulip decides to make the train her home.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 39





	The Dollhouse Car

Tulip stared at the crisp white ceiling above her. “One-One,” she whispered. Both her arms were tucked under her head, propped up against the bed. Atticus, the King of the Corgis, was curled at her feet, his steady breath the only noise in the car.

They found the Dollhouse Car by chance. It was a big and beautiful wooden house, the kind that you would see in a museum with its delicate wooden furniture and even the smallest details accounted for. It seemed like an opportune place to rest for the night, though the furniture was stiff and uncomfortable. It felt good to sleep in a bed again. 

The little white orb turned to her, propped up on a thin pillow. Both of his eyes blinked at her with a soft, mechanical glow. “Yes, Miss Tulip?” Glad-One chirped. 

She swallowed, mouth dry with the taste of old wood and cotton. “How did you get lost? From your mom?” 

“Oh well, one day I looked up and I realized, oh no! This isn’t my mum. This is a snowman! He was missing his head and I thought I should stick around and be his head for awhile. And then I met you.” 

“So you don’t remember anything?” she asked. 

“Nope!” replied Glad-One. 

“Sometimes I wonder if she is even looking for me,” said Sad-One. “I doubt she is. I was stuck in the Snow Car for 33 years.” 

“But now I’m not stuck in the Snow Car and everything is wonderful!” 

Tulip sighed, tugging at the strings of her hoodie until the green fabric encapsulated her. “Sometimes I wonder if my parents are even looking for me. I’ve been on this train for so long, they might have given up on me.” 

“They probably think you’re dead,” Sad-One replied. 

She swallowed, throat dry and painful. “I wonder if they could even get along long enough to look for me?” 

Atticus popped his head up, “Don’t be preposterous, Tulip. While your parents may have their differences they have you in common. I have no doubts they would set aside their personal beliefs in order to find you.” 

She rolled over on the bed, her side pressing painfully into bed frame. “But they couldn’t even stay together for me! If I was so important to them I should have been enough to hold their marriage together or to get them to go to couples therapy or something!” She didn’t notice how loud her voice had become, bouncing against the walls and throughout the car. 

“Now, Tulip,” Atticus chided, laying his head across her ankles. “You know your parents divorce had nothing to do you with you. If anything, I’m sure your disappearance will have brought them closer together.”

Tulip looked down at her hand, the faint green glow of the number peeking out from underneath. She still hadn’t figured it out. She had been on the car for months and the number was still there to taunt her. Maybe she was never going to figure it out. Maybe that was the point. 

“If me being gone is the thing that will get my parents to like each other, then maybe I should stay lost on this train forever.” 

One-One split in 2, both halves looking up at Tulip. 

“Forever is a very long and depressing amount of time,” answered the Sad-One. 

Glad-One cheered, raising his stubby legs into the air. “Hurray! Tulip is going to stay with us forever!”

“You can’t honestly expect to stay here,” Atticus said. “You have your home to return to. Your friends. What about Osh Kosh?” 

“Who needs those things?” Tulip rolled off the bed, jostling Atticus and One-One around on the bed. She pulled down her hoodie and looked around the Dollhouse car. “Here I have a literally infinite train to explore and the two greatest friends ever. I can find my own train car to live in. I can stay with Nancy in the straight-up-Italy car. Or I can go live in Corginia, and open door knobs, give belly rubs, or play fetch. Maybe there’s an onion car we haven’t found yet!” 

“As divine as your belly rubs are, I cannot condone your permanent residence on the train.” 

“Well,it’s not your decision.” Tulip said, walking around the bedroom, staying away from the empty side of the house, where there was no wall, only an empty white void below. “I could stay here! Sure, it’s not great. But with a little attention this could be a nice house.” 

“You are being irrational,” Atticus said, leaping off the bed and following at Tulip’s heel. “As your friend, it is my duty to help you make wise choices. The train will never really feel like home to you, because your home is elsewhere.” 

“Sure it can.” Tulip held her fingers up like a picture frame and tried to envision the space around her. “We just need to move a few things around.” She ran over to the bed, grabbing it by the legs and pulled it across the wood floors with a loud screech. She pushed it up against the opposite wall and dusted off her hands. “See, the bed looks much better over here. And we could go back to the Cross-Eyed Ducks Car to get some feathers for down blankets! We’ll be living fancy!” 

Jumping from the bed, One-One skittered across the floor after Tulip. 

“Yay!” exclaimed glad-one. “I’ve always wanted to be fancy.” 

“Not so fancy for the ducks we’ll have to maim,” sad-one sighed. 

“Yeah, yeah!” Tulip continued to run through the bedroom. She tossed open the wardrobe, several linen dresses and coats bursting out. “Look! Clothes. Oh man, I haven’t changed in like 3 months.” Ripping one of the dresses from the wardrobe, she pulled it over her head, the light blue polka dot fabric swishing at her ankles. “I mean, it’s not really my style but I can work with it.” 

“Tulip, I insist you stop this nonsense at once,” Atticus said sternly. 

Ignoring him, Tulip burst through the bedroom door and down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

One-One snapped back together, and rolled down the stairs after Tulip, bouncing after hitting each step. “Ow. Ow. Ow.” He knocked into the side of the kitchen table, coming to a dizzying stop. 

Tulip slid across the floor, dress sticking to the unfinished wood. “And we can use this old-timey stove to make dinner!” She knocked on it twice, a hollow metal clang echoing back at her. “I could cook so many onions in this baby. Now all we need is,” she counted on her fingers, “food, water, and some paint for the walls.” She gestured at the mustard yellow wallpaper, “I mean, yuck. Who designed this house?” 

“Probably the Conductor,” said Sad-One. “What a loser.” 

“Tulip, I understand you are upset,” Atticus called from the base of the stairs. “But this is absurd. Come get some rest and I’m sure you will feel better in the morning.” 

Standing back up, Tulip brushed off the dress and surveyed her new house. “I feel great, Atticus. This will be great. I can live my own life however I want, and my parents won’t have to worry about me anymore.” She walked towards the next room, “Let’s keep looking around,  _ roomies _ .” 

Glad-One cheered.“Roomies! Oh I am so excited. Everyday will feel like a slumber party!” 

Tulip wandered into the next room of the dollhouse, this one, a living room with a beautiful bookshelf and a delicately woven rug on the floor. Fake pictures of hills and beaches were pasted up against the walls. “See? This is nice. We could all hang out in here together.” She turned around to see 3 human-like figures seated away from her on the sofa. “Oh uhm. Hi?” 

The figures said nothing. 

“I’m Tulip… did I like break into your house or something?” 

Still nothing. 

“Uhm. I’m sorry I said your wallpaper was ugly.” She reached out with one hand, tapping the figure on the shoulder. It fell over, wooden body knocking against the ground. Tulip jumped back and let out a scream. 

One-One rolled up to the figure and then poked at it. “Do you think he’s dead?” 

Tulip let out a breath, noticing how none of the figures moved. Coming around the sofa for a better look. They were human-sized dolls with big smiles and rosy cheeks painted on to her face. Their features were so delicate and lifelike, even their hands looked real. “Oh. They’re just dolls. So many things on the train are alive and can talk. I thought they were alive too.” 

One-One gave the doll another pat on the face. “Nope! This is definitely just a doll,” Glad-One verified. 

“Oh,” said Sad-One. “I was going to write his obituary. I guess I won’t be needed.” 

Reaching down, Tulip scooped up the doll and placed it back on the couch with the others. They sat 3 in a row, happy and smiling. They each wore pretty pastel clothes and their hair was made of soft, curly, yarn. Tulip could see them clearly now: a mother, a father, and a child. They were enjoying some tea (though the cups were empty) and reading together from books that didn’t open and a newspaper without words. 

“Aww that’s cute,” Tulip commented. “They’re spending time together as a family.” And even though their faces were painted on, they looked so happy sitting together in their nice house. 

“Do you think they like to go on road-trips together,” Tulip asked, though she wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular. “And do you think they like to sing bad songs together in the car?” She sniffed, eyes watering. “And do you think they’d still love their kid even if they got divorced?” 

Tears rolled down her cheeks and her shaky breath fogged up her glasses. She dropped down to the floor, balling up the sleeve of her green hoodie to wipe at her eyes. Strands of her red hair clung to the sides of her face. 

Atticus walked up to her, and nudged his head against the back of her arm. “There, there. It is okay to feel sad. Just because your parents got divorced does not mean they love you any less, or that they don’t miss you. If anything, they’re working together to find you because they want you to come home. The train will never be home to you because you already have a good home with people who love you. You just need to have the courage to keep working hard and you will make it.” 

“You think so?” Tulip said between sniffles. 

“If anyone can make it through the train and find a way home, it is you.” He propped both paws up on Tulip’s knees to rub his face against hers. 

Tulip smiled, scratching Atticus behind the ears. “Thanks, Atticus. You’re a very wise king.” 

“Of course I am,” he replied. “And, as a wise king, can I advise you to scratch a little bit more to the left.” She did, and Atticus began to kick his back leg with delight. “Oh yes. That’s very nice.” 

“What about me, Miss Tulip?” asked One-One. “Am I a very wise One-One?” 

She laughed. “Yes you are. And don’t worry, One-One. We’ll help you find your mom too.” Getting up off the ground, Tulip let out a deep breath and dried her eyes one more time. “Okay everyone, let’s go to bed and start fresh. I’m ready to get off this train.” 


End file.
